New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-07-19
CHAIN-GANG FOR TEACHERS
A BILL IN THE GEORGIA LEGISLATURE.

BILL IN THE GEORGIA LEGISLATURE.
DELICATE CONCERN FOR ATLANTA uNrvERsrrYA.
ORIGIN AND SIGNIFICANCE or THE MEAsURs.
ATLANTA, Ga. July 18.-There ID ct che present
time an interesting bill before the Georsis LSRis
isturc II is entitled bill to regulate the man.
ner OF conducting educational institutions In this
State and to protect the nghtsof colored and white
people and provide penalties for tho infraction Of
this act" 1t provides that no school or other sdu-
cational institution conducted for the education Of
colored people shall receive "a pupil any white
person, and that no school or educational institu-
sion conducted for the education of white people
shall receive a. pupil any colored person. Any
teacher or manager OF said institutions violating
this act shall be guilty of . misdemeanor. punish
able by fine not to exceed $1,000 imprisonment
not to exceed six months or work on 0 Changing
not to exceed twelve months. any or ell,
10 the discretion of the court. II the in
stitution is chartered, not only the teach
ers. but the president secretary, mem-
bers OF the Board of Trustees other persons fill
ing the corresponding Offices who shall knowingly
permit this act to be violated subject to indict-
ment aud punishment Such In brief is the bill a.
outlined iu The atlanta Constitstion on July II.
| Why is such q bill introduced The following
facts will show the answer. In 1897 the American
Missionary Association secured . charter for tho
Atlanta University, and founded that institution
for the education Of colored youth. But the well.
known principles of tho association, admitting no
distinctions on the ground of color, forbade the
closing of its doors to any worthy student who
might apply for admission. The money to start
that school, buy the erounds erect the buildings,
furnish them, make improvements etc, was ell
contributed by benevolent people ct the North,
Into the grounds and buildings as they
stand to-day there have been put something
ever $15O.000-everv cent of it contributed
by friends IN the North In addition to thi4
Northern contributors have given toward the run.
ming expenses Of the institution an average
since 1867 about $4,000 year. That is to say,
Christian people at the North have given the State
of Georgia to help educate her children IN this ono
institution something over $350.OOO! But tho
money is by far the smallest part of the contrbu-
tion The culture. piety. noble character and con-
secration Of the teachers. graduates Of Northern
colleges and normal schools have made the At
Ianta University model school to initiate and
constant inspiration to the development Of the
educational interests Of the State. There
have been, however, for several years past,
q few white pupils in the school.
These were the children of the professors and In
one instance child Of q missionary of the Ameri-
can Missionary Association. The reasons for tho
presence OF tneSo Wnlt0 puplls Were tufoc: w lu0
principles on which the institution was founded;
~ the fact that there was no school In Atlanta
where the children could receive thorough train
ing and discipline, and 81 The sentiment of tho
people against niger teachers" was such that to
send the children TO the white schools would have
been to subject them to ostracism and insult IL
were not for the first two reasons. the last would
not count for much. Ostracsm and insult are tho
condemnation Of those who inaict; the honor OF
those who suffer-
But the answer is not yet complete. In the dis.
tribution Of national grant Of public
lands for education In the several States,
Georgia received $27O,0O0 scrip. the interest
on which amounts TO something over
$4,000 year. This money was given, let 1t
not be forgotten, by q Republican Congress, and
the act giving it was signed py Republican Presi-
dentf And what did the State of Georgia do with
iti Appropriated every cent of it to its white
State University at Athens With nearly one-half
of its State population coored it took tho Nations
gift for the benefit of the whole State aud put 1t
where the cOlored people could hav no share In
il whatever Somebody discovered that this was
clearly incorporation of funds, and that IL
the United States Congress should learn OF 1t there
would probably be Emusic in the air" Of kind
Georgia would not like to hear. and so the State
Legislature generously" voted that it would ap-
propriate 900 year for the education of colored
youth 10 the State! And this money. the gift Of
the United States to Georgia. was always spoken OF
as State appropriation and quoted a. an evidence
of the wonderful interest the State takes in negro
edu cation. But what would $4,000 year accom-,
plish for the training of teachers to supply the
wants of the 900 colorea people in Georgia.
How far would it 80 in the purchase of grounds,
erection and equipment of buildings and the sal
aries of teachersi 1t is simply laughable to ask
he question. But here was an institution at hand.
grounds buildings equipments, teachers, every
thing IN operation. Having been placed by tho
American Missionary Association in the hands OF
its own Board of Trustees and being undenomlna-
tona and pnsectarian in all respects why h not s, ap
Legislature appointed a committee to look into the
matter. The committee visited the school, were
profoundly impressed with IT'S excellence lana ano
OF having the appropriation go TO the school Every
year since then the appropriation OF that $S. .UOO
has gone to the University. Every year since then
the report of the State Examiners has been highly
eulogistlc. a..
there were a few white children, the children OF
the professors and the child of the missionary
already referred to. in the school, and they have
become righteously indignant over this misappro-
priation of tunda The money. say they, was gwen
exclusively for the education OF coored pupils ana
behold some White
ST. 1000 toward the running expenses of the schoo.
ana the interest on the investment also given by
Sl 5000 the State Legislature added 1000, which
is. after all, not theirs but gift to them by the
people of tho United states for education and be:
cause some halt dozen " white children have attended
this school, more than two-thirds the funds to run
which the North contributes, and the remaining
less than one-tbird comes from the people OF the
United States albeit thas 1t is in the form Of state
appropriation from Georgia this committee think
that the colored people not getting their full
So 900 worth of education. In these facts you
have tho whole of the answer TO the question why
the bill above referred to has been introduced to
the Georgia Legislature Antiquarians will be
specially interested this BILL since it shows that
some people who lived In the dark ages are not
dead Yet or else that tho souls OF those who lived